The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, TRA, represented by ICT Fund, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Huawei, has launched the projects presentation phase of the “Seeds for the Future” 2018 Competition.
“Seeds for the Future” Programme endeavours to stimulate the students’ innovative thinking and creates a competitive platform for them to launch their creations on a variety of topics including science and innovation in transport, education, cybersecurity, smart cities, healthcare, infrastructure and space.
The competition has received over 150 projects from 15 higher education institutes across the country of which 36 projects have qualified for the third phase. These selected project were then presented at the TRA and Huawei laboratories.
Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, said, “The Ministry of Education strives to stimulate a creative environment that instills a culture of innovation and passion for science among our students, and contributes to building their skills on both theoretical and practical levels, by involving all stakeholders from the public and private sectors, to achieve the objectives of the higher education national strategy, which has been designed in the framework of visions and future directions of the UAE”
“When it comes to enabling and investing in human resources, we have a joint responsibility because the goal is broader,” Al Falasi added.
“Today’s higher education students are the engine and the leaders of tomorrow’s job market. Moreover, in recognition of the importance of coordinated efforts for building a future generation with advanced skills that keep up with life and technology changes, we have launched the Higher Education and Private Sector Council earlier this year, which aims to coordinate the educational outcomes with labor market requirements. We are proud of Huawei as an active member of this Council as well as a strategic partner that does not hesitate to transfer knowledge and international expertise that contribute to the refinement of the competencies of our national cadres. We also thank the TRA for its tireless efforts as it stands as a national example to develop UAE competencies and raise their competitiveness and readiness to work.”
The projects are evaluated based on seven global standards: content, applicability, innovation and creativity dimensions, quality and integration, the level of concept development, presentation and structure, as well as the overall experience. The assessment is conducted by a panel of judges from TRA, Dubai Chamber, Dubai Investments, Sheraa the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, Smart EoT, Dubai Consultancy, and Huawei.
Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director-General, said, “This achievement reflects the spirit of partnership and cooperation between the public and private sectors. It also reflects Huawei’s desire to enhance the course of action in its community responsibility as well as its contribution to enhance the innovation culture and visionary thinking among youth, in line with the wise leadership directives, and to serve the community. In TRA, we encourage and fully support this sort of initiatives, based on our responsibilities inspired by the highest goals of the country.”
The winning teams will have the opportunity to travel to China to Huawei’s headquarters, the world’s leading provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices. The students will be offered valuable training in the important facilities of the company such as the innovation center, research and development centers, laboratories and factories, in addition to a direct dialogue with selected company officials and experts.
